This is turning out a little darker than I expected, so just warning you all.
We got a day to rest before it was time for Stage Two. It was hardly Heroes and Villains anymore, since Beth was the only villain left. On the other hand, Kisarna was hardly one of us anymore. It would be most unfortunate for her if the next phase required any teamwork.
Titian was there again to greet us when we filed back into the room where we met him the first time. He welcomed us all with a friendly wave as we formed ourselves into a line.
"So nice to see you all. I have some wonderful news for you. No one has to die today." he paused and laughed to himself. "Well, none of you, anyway."
"The Capitol wants only the most capable of you. Stage One tested your physical capabilities. Stage Two will test your mental capabilities. Don't worry, it's not an intelligence test. We don't care about that. We care about your ability to follow orders. We've set up something that should tell us just that," Titian continued. He gestured toward a trapdoor in the wall. I'd noticed it and was wondering what it was, along with the shiny section of floor underneath it.
"One at a time, each of you will come forward and stand beside me. As you do so, the door will revolve and reveal a chair. That chair will contain a prisoner. Hanging on the wall beside the chair, you will find a switch. Pull the switch and you will electrocute the chair, executing the prisoner. Pull the switch and you pass. It's as simple as that. If you all pull, you all pass. If you fail, I take care of things," Titian said with a smile. He pulled a handgun from his pocket and pointed it at the air, violating every rule of weapons safety.
"I am so in," Beth said from the end of the line. I wasn't as enthusiastic. That didn't sound like the Panem I knew. Titian saw a few of us were uneasy.
"You needn't feel guilty. The prisoners are criminals. They would have been executed anyway. Now, let's start at the end of the line. Margo, you're first," he said.
"No problem," Margo said. She walked confidently to Titian and stood beside him. The platform slowly revolved and the chair came into view. The person sitting in it was wearing a hood and baggy clothes, making it impossible to determine gender or age. The chair was made of wood, and there were metal straps holding the prisoner in place. Whoever it was, they weren't moving. They might have already been dead, but I suspected they were just resigned. The switch next to the chair was a large wooden toggle. To set it off, Margo would have to take hold of it and pull it down like a mousetrap. She walked over and pulled it without hesitation.
It wasn't as dramatic as I'd feared. The prisoner stiffened and his head jerked back tight against the restraints. There was an audible hum of electricity for only a second, and then the voltage cut out and the prisoner slumped forward. There was one less criminal in Panem.
"Congratulations. We have our first successful candidate," Titian said. Troy went next and passed with flying colors. Beth then passed with even more flying colors, since she pulled the switch twice.
"Up next, Lyte," Titian said. The boy walked to Titian and stood with his hands behind his back as the platform came around. He didn't move when the chair came into place. Seconds passed the the room fell into dead silence.
"Pull the switch," Titian prodded.
"No," Lyte said. Titian forced a smile, and we all saw his nervous tic.
"It's just a criminal. He's going to die anyway," he said.
"No," Lyte said. Titian hardened his voice.
"This is very disappointing. It seems we have our first failure," he said. He took out his gun. Steel gasped beside me and took a step forward, but he didn't see her behind him. Titian raised the gun and blew out Lyte's brains. He left the body there as he turned back to us, flecks of blood on his face.
"Next up is Kisarna Talent." Kisarna stepped right over Lyte and pulled the switch. Belisarius passed next, after a nervous glance at Titian and a guilty look at the prisoner.
Steel was next. I was worried for her. She'd started crying when Titian shot Lyte, and she shot him a dirty look as she walked by him. She stopped with her hand above the switch.
"This is a criminal?" she asked for clarification.
"On Death Row," Titian assured her.
"He's been convicted by a jury?" she asked.
"Of course," Titian said. Steel didn't appear to put any stock in his opinion, but she had faith in the justice system, just like me. She pulled the lever.
Then it was all me. Steel watched nervously like I'd watched her. My shoe left a bloody footprint after I stepped through Lyte's blood. I approached my prisoner and took stock. Killing was nothing new to me. This was even easier than usual. The prisoner was here because he'd been judged a danger to society. It was a dirty job, but it kept Panem safe. It wasn't hard. I pulled the switch.